Diplomacy
A look inside Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter: A community of political transients
Embassy staff are used to postings around the world but in Riyadh, they live alongside government ministers in the Diplomatic Quarter district. We pass the security checkpoints to meet its residents.
Opinion
Latest
Monocle’s 2025 Soft Power Survey – who is quietly gaining or losing influence in a multipolar world
Which country’s cultural influence grew and whose slumped in the past 12 months? We take a look at six nations.
Is a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict viable? ‘A Land for All’ has an audacious vision
Lawyer May Pundak and political scientist Rula Hardal are reframing coexistence with a radical plan that goes beyond a two-state solution; shared borders, shared institutions and shared responsibility.
Timor-Leste steps onto the regional stage as it joins Asean after long-awaited accession
Asia’s youngest country and Asean’s latest member might be small but it’s ready to get to work. We speak to president José Ramos-Horta to explore what’s next.
What Macron’s Dior habit says about the politics of the presentation and the smell of success
Can a person’s use of perfumes be an attribute of dominance? Reports say that the French president certainly thinks so.
UAE’s Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi on how smart diplomacy can bridge a polarised world
Emphasising the importance of dialogue and hope amid challenges in the middle east.
Threads of power: How global leaders’ style shapes their influence
What world leaders wear – and how they project power, prestige or playfulness – matters. Who said that style doesn’t make the world go round, command armies or inspire faith?
Opinion
Why Donald Trump’s opponents should strive to better understand his governing style
4 min read
Propaganda shots fired despite pause in Thailand-Cambodia war
Six weeks after a ceasefire, Cambodia and Thailand remain on edge. Borders closed, propaganda campaigns launched and far-right media meddling leave the fragile truce hanging by a thread in this volatile dispute.
